Program Vision Statement

Robin Reisdorf
The vision statement for my classroom:
In order to create a classroom that is filled with kindness and mutual respect for each other, I
will emphasize positive social relationships through the development of active listening skills,
treating others with dignity, and reaching mutually satisfying outcomes in conflict situations.
The values that help support my program vision:
1. Seek new perspectives and ways of understanding our environment and events.
2. Respect and accept opinions different than our own.
3. Show genuine concern for the well-being of others.
4. Live by The Golden Rule.
Since I believe that Social and Emotional Development is the most valuable learning
domain, I created a classroom vision statement that emphasizes positive social interactions with
others. I have included three ways of facilitating this development within my classroom: teach
active listening skills, treat others with dignity, and reach mutually satisfying outcomes in
conflict situations.
Teach Active Listening Skills
Children and adults alike are often times too busy defending their argument and planning
their rebuttal to stop talking and thinking long enough to really listen to what the other person is
saying. I regularly work on my active listening skills, but have realized that I do not teach these
skills to my students. By adding this competence to my classrooms vision statement, I am

making the commitment to intentionally teach this skill to my students as well as the
understanding of why it is important to clarify the messages we receive.
Treating Others with Dignity
Lilian Katzs article, Respecting the Rights of the Learner, helped me realize the value of
mutual respect among people, especially within the relationship of a student and a teacher. For
me, the most powerful quote from this article is when Lilian says, Another element of respect is
the disposition to treat everyone we serve with dignity, even when we disagree with them, or
even dislike them. I cannot help but fantasize about how wonderful it would be to live in a
world where everyone is treated with dignity and kindness, regardless of their social status,
personal opinions, sexual orientation, race, religion, gender, age, etc. I can begin turning this
fantasy into a reality by making humanity a priority in my classroom.
Reach Mutually Satisfying Outcomes in Conflict Situations
Helping my students gain the necessary skills to negotiate their wants and needs,
communicate so others can understand them, and resolve their conflicts with peers has always
been a learning goal within my classroom, but it has not been part of my classroom vision. I feel
passionately enough about helping my students meet this goal, that it became the driving force
behind my classroom vision. It is disheartening that children believe conflicts have to have a
win-lose outcome. Conflict is an inevitable part of life, and learning how to manage it now, will
help my students gain the confidence and experience needed to effectively manage their own
conflicts as they become more independent. Through explicit teaching, role-playing, and
childrens literature, I will help my students have more positive experiences with conflict and
strive for mutually satisfying outcomes.

In my opinion, active listening, treating others with dignity, and reaching mutually
satisfying outcomes in conflict situations are interdependent with each other. If one is using
active listening skills, she is treating the other person with dignity, and they are more likely to
resolve their conflict positively. All four of my values support the main ideas of my classroom
vision.
Seeking new perspectives and ways of understanding our environment is one way to
show respect and dignity toward others. By genuinely learning about each other and appreciating
what each of us brings to the classroom, we can discover who is the best fit for teaching us about
the frog we found on the playground (hint: its not me!).
Many of the conflicts that occur in a classroom of four year olds are created due to a
difference in opinion. One child thinks Flash is the fastest superhero while another is confident
Superman is the fastest (and best)! By teaching my students the value of respecting and
accepting opinions other than their own, I am modeling a method that values everyones
opinions. It is okay for one child to believe Flash is the fastest, while another has the opinion that
Superman is the fastest. We each have our own truths, and learning to respect the differences in
our truths is a valuable life skill.
Another way to show human dignity is by exuding a genuine concern for the well-being
of others. Creating a classroom community of acceptance and respect is one step in developing
concern for others. Some people are born with this characteristic while others need guidance as
they discover their own emotions and begin to understand that other people have emotions too.
This is a great example of a behavior that can be modeled through the use of my own actions and

self-talk. My students can count on me to be a role-model for genuinely caring about the wellbeing of others.
Finally, learning how to live by The Golden Rule is not an easy task, but it proves to be
a solid foundation of what is right. The Golden Rule holds us accountable for our actions and
expects that we will treat others the way we want to be treated. This skill is directly related to
serving people with dignity and respect. We can also use this rule while managing conflicts with
others. It serves as a good reminder to continue resolving the conflict until it is mutually
satisfying for all parties involved.
When I was beginning to write my vision statement for my program, I noticed that I was
constantly reverting back to a quote by Dale Carnegie. This one stands out in my mind because it
is simple, yet powerful. I stopped working on my program vision statement for a while and just
focused on this quote. When I was reflecting on all the possible hidden meanings, I ended up
settling on one. For me, this quote symbolizes respect and human dignity, which became the
focus for my vision statement: Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, I like you.
You make me happy. I am glad to see you. -Dale Carnegie
All classrooms should offer an environment where everyone is accepted and respected.
This vision statement will help me stay focused on the essential skills and values necessary for
maintaining a classroom that offers positive learning opportunities for strengthening the social
and emotional development of four year old children.